Frederick hoddick



@n-tten gisten stmtt @Hire PRINGE'AND COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

'Leners Patent No. 76,7459, ,avec Afm? 14 186e.

IMPEVEMENT 1N REED-ORGANS.

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'ro ALL wuoM 1r MAY CNCERN: l Y

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HDDICK, of Bualo, in the county Vof Erie, and State of New York, have invented certain Anew and useful Improvements in Reed-Organs; and I do hereby declare that the followingl is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, nwhich- Figure 1 is a vertical section of my upright reed-organ, with the swell-attachment applied.

Figure 2 is a'rear view, with the back removed, showing my method of placing the valves.

Figure 3 is a front view, with the swell and reeds removed.

Figure is a front view, showingthe swell-box and slide-register. Y

Like letters of reference-designate corresponding parts in `all'the gures. v

My invention consists in dividing the body of an upright organ into chambers, against which the several sets of reeds are placed, said chambers corresponding in number with the number of individual reeds in a set, and each'ehamber covering all of the corresponding reeds of each set of reeds, the said chambers producing an -etiect'simil'ar to a` pipe-organ. The invention also consists in the method of placing the valves and valve-openings,

whereby economy of space is. produced.

In the drawings, M shows the body of the organ, A A the upright partitions, and B B the chambers between the upright partitions, corresponding in number with the number of reeds in a s/et. (1 C are the valves at 'the back of the chambers. D D are the apertures in partition K, covered by the valves. sa a are theoperatingrods, connecting the valves with the top of the push-pins 6 b, running from the rods a a to the end ofthe levers g,v=fdrriiing part of the lieys. c c are set-pins, fastened to 'the back of partition K, upon which the valves C C wor'l' are conical holes near the bottom of the valves, in which the pins c c set. d d are the spring-rods of the valves, and e c are guiding-pins for the valves. E E are 'the severa-l sets of reeds, resting, one above another, against the edges of partitions, A A, with the corresponding reeds of the several sets opening into the chambers B 'B. u

The chambers B B, communicatipg, from the wind-chest or. ain-chamber I, to the sets of reeds E E, may be extended upwards to any desired height, and as many sets of reeds placed against them, one above the other, as may be wished, to produce any or all the varieties of stops. As the'wind-chest I need never, in any oftheso organs, extend beyond a certain height, (simply sufficient to draw the air from chambers v13,) the diicrent sets of reeds may be placed on both the front and back of these partitions and chambers, which will greatly economize' space. v

A most important advantage of these chambers is, that they unquestionably give a pipe-organ tone to the reeds, which are placed opposite to them, making the tone thereby incre mellow and rounder, and doing away with any objections to the penetrating quality of the reed-tone. The great difference in expense is obvious.

By the use ot` these chambers, it will also be perceived that where a single valve, C, is opened, the bellows draws upon all the 'air in any' given chamber, and, therefore, produces a tone through all the individual reeds of the several sets opening into said chamber. Thus, if there are four sets of reeds, the opening of one valve will draw through four reeds of the same key, producing a fourfold power and variety oi' tone by' a single touch of the operating-key; and, in doing this, there is but a single connection through push-pins and rods, b a. In other organs, a compound arrangement of push-pins has been employed, connecting with as many diderent sets of valves as there are sets of reeds, but such arrangements are expensive, and take up considerable room, but in none, so far -as I am aware, has the opening of onevalve produced a tone vthrough severa-l sets of reeds.

This eect is owing to the employment of the chambersB'B.

These chambers and partitions allow me to lattach my valves at the back, in two rows, one above another,

' iig. 2, the upper row alternating in position'or breaking joints with. the lower row; for example, the rst valve of the lower set of valves opens into the first chamber; the first valve of the upper set opens into the second chamber, and so on, there being as many chambers as' there are keys,'the first key opening the first valve of the lower set, the second key the first valve of the upper set, and s'o on.

This arrnngement of placing the valves in two rows, and alternating them in position, in combination with the chambers B B, enables me to economize space in the organ, as, when thus elevated, they still open into chambers B, and therefore act upon any given number of reeds connected witnsaidchambers.

By the arrangement ofthe valves loosely upon the t-pins c o, as described, the snid valves operate freelyin opening and closing, and are also easily applied or removed,

My swell-arrangement is simple in the extreme, being composed of a wooden box, F, attached to and covering the entire front of the action, nndhaving longitudinal openings, 7L L, covered by' slats, H H, of a frame,

. Gr, which slats adjust-'up and down. This reduces the sound of the reeds to the most beautiful pam'ssmo, and,

by graduallyraising the sliding frame, the slats ares-ot the same time raised, producing a gradual increase in tone, or crescendo. When the slats are entirely above thle openings h la, the full tone of the reeds is allowed to issue. The diminuendo Yis, of course, pro-duced by gradhaily working the' sliding frame, with the slats H H, downwards over the-openings 7L la. i

This swell possesses many advantages. It is directly, easily, and surely worked, producing the whole range -of tone, from forte to piano, and vice versa, as readily as described. It is also easily and quickly detached,

when-necessary to get at the reeds or action, and as quielriy reattaehed to the instrument, and also being very siniple in its constrnctionff Y What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The ernployment, in upright organs, of tli'ebclmmbers B B, interposed between the sets of reeds and tile valves, and operating in the manner and for the purpose setfo'rth. l I

2. So combining several sets ot' reeds, EE, with the chambers B B, that the opening of the one valve, C, in any one chamber, shall act upon all the reeds opening in that chamber, as herein set forth.

" 3. Arranging the valves C C and the openings D D, which they cover, in two rows, one above the other,

and alternating in position, when combined with the chambers B B, in such a manner as to eoonomize space, as"

herein set forth., t Y A n In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed niy name in the presence oi two subscribing witnesses.

FRED, HODDICK. Witnesses .An-BEM Heren, J.V R. DRAKE. 

